Collecting Data At Events- Who Benefits?

Tuesday, January 12, 2016 9:25:37 AM America/New_York

Data is one of the most valuable things in the world. It gives the collector the ability to measure information on variables of interest, in an established systematic fashion that enables one to answer stated research questions, test hypotheses, and evaluate outcomes. While methods of data collection vary, the emphasis on ensuring accurate and honest collection remains the same.

Before we get into who’s benefiting let’s have a quick Q&A about data collection:

QUESTION- Why is data collection so important?ANSWER- Simply put, data collection is so important because it directly impacts the conclusions derived from the data. Helping to provide insight regarding the subjects who were involved.

QUESTION- What do we mean when we say collecting data?ANSWER- Collecting data means collecting information about your operation. Once you’ve decided how you’re going to get information –direct observation, interviews, surveys, testing, or other methods you can put your plan into action, you’ll have to define what results you plan to achieve and you’ll have to record the observations in appropriate ways and organize them so they’re optimally useful for upcoming analyzation.

Recording and organizing data may be done many different ways depending on the kind of information you’re collecting. Regardless of what method you decide to use, or what data you are trying to capture a organized system should be used so that nothing gets lost.

QUESTION- What is meant by data analyzation?ANSWER- Analyzing collected data involves examining it in ways that reveal the patterns and trends, etc. that can be found within it. That may mean subjecting it to statistical operations that can tell you not only what kinds of relationships seem to exist among variables, but also to what level you can trust the answers you’re getting.

Quantitative or Qualitative?

Quantitative data is data that can be translated into numbers which can then be analyzed mathematically. Qualitative data is data that is collected in terms of opinions, quotes or interpretations etc.

How is quantitative data used for festival organizers? Quantitative data is used to measure the success of an event. For example in addition to tracking the fans activity at events, festivals can also use quantitative data to track how many times their event is mentioned in interviews.

How is qualitative data used for festival organizers?Qualitative data is collected by organizers as they are able to measure what types of variables can affect their fans. This type of data allows you to compare those changes to one another. This type of data can also relay, at a particular degree of reliability, whether those changes are likely to have been caused by your intervention or program, or by another factor, known or unknown. And they can identify relationships among different variables, which may or may not mean that one causes another.

Now that we’ve got all of that out of the way. Let’s figure out who’s benefiting.

Short answer. EVERYONE IS BENEFITTING!! Fans, organizers, and sponsors!

Long answer.

Fans benefit because they are getting a better experience year after year. Their feedback is being heard, and organizers are giving fans what they want. Organizers benefit because fans are happier, revenues are up and their festival/event gains more traction. It also helps organizers to know what they are doing right and what needs to be corrected at future events. Organizers are also able to sell sponsorships and advertising opportunities much faster by collecting data. Sponsors benefit because they are able to invest in festivals/events that they know they are going to see return on. Imagine if you as an event organizer was able to go to your sponsors and say “listen, we know that 95% of the attendees at last year’s festival stated that they would prefer to have your product/service at next year’s event” Procuring that sponsor would be a piece of cake!

So? Should big data get some big love? In my opinion the answer is a clear YES! The benefits far outweigh the cost in obtaining. What do you think? Let us know!